Create Your Prime Big Deal Days Promotions Now
Amazon has officially opened submissions for Prime Big Deal Days, and sellers have until September 12, 2025 to lock in their Best Deals and Lightning Deals. Here’s what you need to know:
- Best Deals: Minimum 15% discount off the ASIN reference price. Cost is $1,000 per deal. Offering 30%+ off unlocks additional merchandising exposure.
- Lightning Deals: Require at least a 20% discount and cost $500 per deal.
To stay Prime-eligible, inventory must hit fulfillment centers on time:
- September 10 for minimal shipment splits
- September 19 for Amazon-optimized shipment splits
Why this matters for sellers: Prime Big Deal Days is one of Amazon’s tentpole events ahead of the holiday season. Securing a deal spot early not only guarantees participation, but steeper discounts can also put your products in front of more eyeballs through Amazon’s merchandising push. The key here is balancing discount depth with profitability and making sure inventory is in place before deadlines.
For a deeper dive, check Amazon’s FBA peak season readiness playbook
Catalog Gymnastics: Amazon’s Olympic Level Variation Abuse
In the latest Seller Forum drama, sellers are calling foul on some serious catalog acrobatics. Imagine merging three totally different drug tests, one panel, two panel, five panel, into a single family of products. The result is one bloated listing, recycled reviews, a boosted bestseller rank, and an unearned badge of honor. That is not clever merchandising. That is catalog fraud with a side of customer confusion.
Amazon’s reply? A polite, auto-generated “no violation found.” Translation: thank you for your complaint, but we’ll go ahead and ignore it. Sellers are understandably steamed because while they play by the rules, the bad actors are getting the spotlight.
Why it matters:
- Buyers think they are looking at honest reviews when they are really reading a mashup of three different products.
- Honest sellers lose sales and rankings while scammers laugh all the way to the bank.
- Enforcement is so weak that sellers have resorted to being unpaid catalog police.
What Amazon support says to do:
- File reports through the Report a Violation tool.
- Track your Complaint ID like a case number.
- If nothing happens, escalate by opening a new Seller Forum thread with your Complaint ID so it can be flagged to the Abuse team.
What brands should actually do:
- Audit your own variations closely. Color and size differences are fine. Functionally different products are not.
- Keep your compliance clean. Amazon does not love nuance. A small slip can look like you are part of the scammer crowd.
- Document everything when reporting abuse: screenshots, timestamps, complaint IDs. Think detective, not drama queen.
- If you get flagged, have a clear Plan of Action ready.
- If you are eligible, Brand Registry gives you more levers to protect your listings.
The takeaway:
Amazon’s catalog management is leaving honest brands exposed. Variation abuse is basically a cheat code for scammers, and Amazon has not patched it. Until they do, the best defense is airtight compliance, constant monitoring, and receipts for everything. Because in this game, playing it straight does not guarantee fairness, but it does keep you out of the penalty box.
Campbell’s Goes Digital While Tariffs Turn Up the Heat
Campbell’s, now officially rebranded from Campbell Soup Company, is stirring the pot with bigger digital bets as tariffs threaten to water down profits in 2026.
The food giant just wrapped Q4 with sales up 1%, but underlying numbers slipped 3% once shipment timing was stripped out. Looking ahead, profits are expected to fall 12 to 18 percent next year, with tariffs on steel, aluminum, and imports adding roughly 4% to product costs.
The counterpunch: digital.
- Campbell’s rolled out a new ERP system via Sovos for tighter supply chain visibility.
- It is testing innovation online first, such as Pacific’s ginger turmeric broth that debuted on eCommerce before retail shelves.
- Social and search data fueled the launch of Swanson’s first ramen broth, aimed at home cooks chasing global flavors.
- Ad spend is climbing to nearly 10% of sales, leaning on retail media networks to reach younger digital-first shoppers.
Category highlights:
- Rao’s sauces are on pace to become Campbell’s fourth billion-dollar brand.
- Snacks are getting a digital glow-up with limited time online exclusives for Goldfish and Milano White Chocolate cookies, boosting Pepperidge Farm sales.
- Cape Cod, Kettle, and Late July all grew share in chips, even as cookies as a whole slipped.
What it means for sellers: Campbell’s is treating eCommerce as the launchpad for innovation and a safety net against economic headwinds. For brands, the playbook is clear; test digitally, use data to fuel product launches, and lean into retail media spend to stay relevant with younger consumers.
The takeaway: Tariffs may take a bite, but Campbell’s is betting that doubling down on digital, retail media, and real-time insights will keep margins from crumbling.
Walmart Bets Big on Collectibles with Weekly Livestreams
Walmart is stepping into the collector arena with Collector’s Night, a new weekly livestream on Walmart Live. The show, powered by TalkShopLive, launched September 4 and is Walmart’s latest push to turn its ecommerce platform into the go-to spot for hobby fans.
The retailer is teaming up with WeTheHobby, a U.S. sports card and collectibles community that also streams on Whatnot and Fanatics Live. By leaning into trading cards and memorabilia, Walmart is chasing a category that is already booming on platforms like eBay, which just reported collectibles as its largest contributor to GMV growth. Pokémon cards alone grew triple digits last quarter.
Why Walmart cares:
- Collectibles are one of the fastest-growing categories online, and Walmart wants in on the action.
- Livestreaming drives urgency and FOMO, making it a natural fit for one-of-a-kind items and limited runs.
- This gives Walmart another way to pull younger, digitally native shoppers into its ecosystem, where discovery matters as much as price.
What it means for sellers:
Collectors represent sticky, high repeat purchase customers. Walmart’s push signals that it is willing to invest in niche categories if they can drive traffic and loyalty. For brands, the opportunity is in figuring out how livestream and retail media tie together, and how exclusive drops or collaborations can create buzz outside of Amazon’s shadow.
The takeaway:
Walmart is not trying to outdo Amazon here. It is carving space in categories where passion and community drive sales, using livestream shopping to turn collectors into loyalists. For sellers, it is proof that Walmart Live is more than a side project, and collectibles might just be the proving ground for its future ecommerce playbook.
Etsy Hands Sellers New AI Shortcuts, Without Losing the Handmade Vibe
Etsy is rolling out a batch of AI tools, not to replace sellers but to take some of the busywork off their plates. The pitch is simple: let the tech handle the repetitive stuff so shop owners can focus on creating, curating, and connecting with buyers.
The new toolkit includes:
- AI Writing Assistant (Beta): Drafts personalized message replies using your past shop data. Faster responses matter — sellers who reply in under two days see conversion rates rise about 27%. You stay in control; edit, approve, or toss the draft.
- Bulk Listing Suggestions: Generates clear titles and attributes by scanning your photos, tags, and reviews. Updates can be applied in bulk or customized on the fly, with real time feedback built in.
- Smarter Discovery: AI now powers image-based search matching and a retooled ranking system that surfaces more diverse and relevant results.
- Review Highlights: Auto-generated snippets like “fast shipping” or “very well made” give buyers quick confidence cues.
- Delivery Estimates: AI blends your processing times with carrier data and shipping history to give buyers clearer expectations at checkout.
Why it matters:
Etsy’s marketplace is cooling; gross merchandise sales dropped nearly 5% last quarter and both buyer and seller numbers slid. These tools are Etsy’s attempt to keep shops sticky and to make buyers feel more confident at checkout.
Etsy’s stance:
- Tools are optional, not mandatory.
- Sellers keep full control over edits and outputs.
- AI is meant to support human creativity, not replace it.
The takeaway:
Etsy is framing this as “responsible innovation.” Sellers get efficiency gains and buyers get more trust signals. For eCommerce brands, the move shows how marketplaces are leaning on AI to improve discovery, cut response times, and remove friction. The winners will be the sellers who embrace the shortcuts without losing their unique voice.
De Minimis is Dead. What That Means for eCommerce
The loophole that let sub $800 imports slip into the U.S. without duties or taxes is gone. As of August 29, every shipment is subject to tariffs and customs paperwork. The policy was meant to crack down on tariff avoidance and illicit shipments, but for eCommerce brands, it is landing right as holiday inventory ramps up.
- Businesses could once ship goods under $800 duty-free, a rule that fueled the rise of Temu, Shein, and countless cross-border sellers.
- Now, every parcel faces duties; postal shipments get a temporary six-month reprieve with a fee of $80 to $200 per package. That is a steep add on when the average de minimis package was valued at just $54.
- Customs and Border Protection will process a flood of new formal entries, raising the risk of shipping delays for smaller sellers who are not set up with bonds, invoices, and clearance processes.
Who is feeling it:
- Temu and Shein lose their cost advantage just as ad spending is cooling and consumer prices are rising.
- Tapestry (Coach, Kate Spade) expects a $160 million profit hit this year tied to tariffs and the loss of de minimis.
- Etsy sellers now need to explain tariffs to buyers who may never have paid them before. Etsy is urging transparency to preserve trust.
How shippers are adapting:
- Importers are shifting from parcel drops to bulk shipping into U.S. warehouses, betting on larger inventory shipments to reduce per-unit costs.
- Brands with cross-border warehouses in Canada and Mexico are consolidating orders to limit crossings, though at the cost of slower delivery.
- Expect more promotions and price incentives on inventory already in U.S. warehouses as brands try to clear stock quickly.
The takeaway:
De minimis was the grease that kept cross-border eCommerce cheap and fast. Without it, expect higher costs, slower shipping, and tougher inventory decisions. The brands that adapt fastest; bulk importing, planning inventory bets, and being transparent with customers, will avoid the worst pain this peak season.
Seller checklist: What to do now
- Run cost simulations: Map which SKUs relied on de minimis and model landed costs with tariffs and fees.
- Explore bulk importing: Shipping into U.S. 3PLs or warehouses may be more cost-effective than parcel-by-parcel drops.
- Audit cross-border operations: If you use Canada or Mexico as staging grounds, consolidate shipments smartly but plan for slower speed.
- Update customer messaging: Buyers may see tariffs for the first time; get ahead of the surprise with transparent communication.
- Plan promotions: Incentivize shoppers to buy inventory already stateside to offset higher landed costs.
Amazon Finally Cuts the Cord on “Prime Invitee”
Starting October 1, Amazon is shutting down what little is left of Prime Invitee — a perk that let Prime members share free shipping with people outside their household. The program technically ended in 2015, but a handful of legacy users still had access. Those users will be nudged toward Amazon Family, which keeps shipping perks but requires everyone to live under the same roof.
Why Amazon is doing this:
- Prime is saturated. When growth slows, you hunt for ways to squeeze more subscribers. Cutting off freeloaders, however small the group, is one way to do it.
- Research from Reuters suggested U.S. Prime signups ahead of this year’s Prime Day were down 2% compared to 2024. Amazon disputes that, claiming record signups worldwide, but they declined to share numbers.
- Prime Day sales were record breaking by Amazon’s measure, but again, no specifics were given.
What it means for sellers:
Prime is Amazon’s golden ticket. Any dip in membership growth matters because Prime subscribers shop more often and spend more. If Amazon is tightening perks to boost conversions, expect heavier pushes to showcase Prime benefits — faster delivery, exclusive discounts, streaming bundles — and sellers will need to stay aligned with those incentives.
The takeaway:
Prime Invitee was a ghost program, but its closure is a small reminder that Amazon is watching the edges of membership closely. With Prime growth flattening in the U.S., Amazon will double down on perks and promotions that keep shoppers inside the Prime ecosystem. Sellers tied to Prime eligibility should expect more pressure to maintain speed, stock, and competitive offers.
AI is the New SEO. Here’s How to Control the Narrative
Search optimization has officially shifted. It is no longer just about ranking on Google. Now, the game is about what AI says when a shopper asks about your brand.
Success comes down to two questions:
- What is already in the training data about your company?
- What can the model find about you in real-time searches?
Why this matters:
When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Mode if your brand is trustworthy, the answer is stitched together from past training data plus live sources. If your own site is silent, AI will happily cite influencers, forums, or competitors. That is how a question about The Ordinary skincare surfaced FDA warnings and competitor criticism — not exactly the branding they were hoping for.
The playbook for brands:
- Run prompts on yourself. Search your brand name in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Google’s AI Mode. See what comes up.
- Track citations. The URLs in AI answers often shape future model training. If you are not being cited, competitors or critics are speaking for you.
- Close the gaps. If buyers are asking “Is this certified?” or “Is it clean beauty?”, create FAQ pages, blog posts, or dedicated content that answers clearly.
- Outperform third parties. If AI is citing a blog you do not control, publish better, more authoritative content on the same topic.
- Benchmark against competitors. Prompt LLMs about rival brands to see how their answers stack up against yours.
Tools of the trade:
Platforms like Peec AI already track which domains show up most often in AI responses for your brand. That makes it easier to spot missed opportunities and create content that earns citations.
The takeaway:
Think of this as SEO for AI. If you do not shape the narrative with clear, authoritative content, AI will pull whatever it finds — and that could be negative reviews, competitor digs, or outdated info. The earlier you start feeding the models with accurate, helpful answers, the more likely you are to own the story that shoppers see.
Beauty’s 2025 Check-in: Growth stays hot, shoppers get picky, channels reshuffle
McKinsey’s latest beauty readout says the category keeps its glow. The core segments; skincare, makeup, hair care, and fragrance, are tracking toward $590B by 2030, with roughly 5% growth over the next five years. Growth cooled from the 2022 to 2024 surge, but the engine is still on. Beauty remains one of consumers’ favorite splurges, even as wallets get tighter.
What stands out for eCommerce teams
- Where the demand is: Executives are prioritizing North America, with outsized optimism for India and the Middle East. Expect more localized assortments and partnerships in those regions.
- Digital keeps gaining: Global online penetration heads toward 30% by 2030. Marketplaces capture nearly a third of spend, DTC holds about 15%, and social commerce climbs fastest in Asia, India, and Latin America.
- Value is back: Mass and masstige picked up about 5 points of share over five years. Shoppers mix price tiers; they will pay up for efficacy and experience, but only when the value story is clear.
- Categories beyond the core: Add another ~$820B when you include aesthetics, men’s shaving, sun care, supplements, bath and body, and spa services. Sun care is a bright spot near 8% growth; men’s participation is accelerating.
- Discovery is fragmenting: Physical retail is still the top inspiration source, then friends and family, then online retail. Influencer relevance slipped 8 points across the US, China, and Europe. Offline media touches about 23% of discovery journeys.
- AI reality check: 60% of consumers in the US and Europe are skeptical of AI-generated content. In China, 83% say AI recommendations beat human ones. Use AI to personalize and assist, then let credible human proofs do the convincing.
- Marketing’s balancing act: Paid social costs more and works less without original creative. Retail is not just a channel, it is a marketing stage. Brands with distinctive stories and retail theater win attention at lower CAC.
How to play this if you run eCommerce for a beauty brand
- Merch by attitude, not age: Build segments around beliefs — science-backed, clean, clinical, luxury ritual, ingredient minimalism — and tailor PDP copy, bundles, and sampling to each mindset.
- Prove value on every PDP: Lead with efficacy, show before and afters, cite testing, and stack reviews that answer “does it work” in the first scroll. If you charge premium prices, show premium proof.
- Ride the “beyond core” wave: Test fast lanes in men’s grooming and sun care, then expand winners into kits and subscriptions. Consider wellness-adjacent SKUs where you have credibility.
- Let marketplaces recruit, let DTC retain: Use Amazon and other marketplaces for reach and trial, then migrate loyalists to DTC with shade finders, refills, and member-only drops.
- Treat retail as media: Coordinate in-store demos, minis, and QR jumps to shoppable landing pages. Repurpose that content into a short video for social and PDPs, because the shelf is now a camera set.
- Be picky with creators: Smaller creators with credible authority beat celebrity sugar highs. Make creator content original and testable, then boost only what converts.
- Personalize without the uncanny valley: Use AI for shade matching, routine builders, replenishment timing, and support scripts. Keep a human tone, show advisors when high consideration purchases need reassurance.
- Price architecture that flexes: Offer good-better-best within each regimen so shoppers can mix tiers without leaving your brand. Put the strongest proof on the good and the hero actives on the best.
Quick checklist for your next 60 days
- Rebuild PDPs for proof: Top third shows results, routines, and comparisons; add a 30-second demo video and two reviewer quotes that address efficacy and feel.
- Spin up an attitude matrix: Map three buyer mindsets and assign landing pages, bundles, and email flows to each.
- Launch one “beyond core” test: Sun care or men’s grooming capsule, with a clear add to routine story.
- Marketplaces to DTC bridge: Add inserts with a routine quiz, first order credit, and refill incentive; measure migration rate.
- Creator audit: Cut underperforming spend, seed product to 20 micro creators with authentic formats, then boost the top five.
- Retail as content: Capture a counter demo day and convert it into Shorts, PDP loops, and a “how to layer” series.
- AI guardrails: Use AI for assistants and finders, disclose lightly where appropriate, and pair every AI touchpoint with human proof or expert validation.
- Promo discipline: Plan value ladders tied to discovery moments, not blanket discounts; protect hero margins with bundles and GWP.
The takeaway
Beauty growth is durable, but the shopper is fickle and channel costs are rising. Win with a value story that is proven, a portfolio that stretches beyond the core without losing focus, and a channel mix that treats retail as media and digital as the engine room. Bold beats timid; iterate fast, then double down where the proof is undeniable.
Walmart Turns Up the Heat on Amazon with New Seller Tools
At its Let’s Grow! Marketplace Seller Summit, Walmart rolled out a fresh batch of AI tools, seller incentives, and omnichannel plays; all aimed at making its marketplace more attractive as it chases Amazon’s dominance.
Smarter Tools (Finally)
- AI listing tool + Smart Assistant: Faster single and bulk item setup, plus real-time help on demand. Translation: less time wrangling spreadsheets.
- Shipping settings upgrade: Self-fulfill sellers can now automate delivery promises by region, helping level the speed game.
- Brand Portal: New brand protection tools to flag fraud and boost authenticity.
- Seller Advisors Program: A feedback loop where sellers shape Walmart’s roadmap (at least on paper).
Money Talks
Walmart sweetened the deal with fee breaks for Q4:
- 0% referral fee on toys
- 50% off pet supplies
- Up to 100% reductions on select top-sellers across categories
Fulfillment Goes Prime-Like
- Next-Day expansion: Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta are now covered.
- WFS edge: Walmart says its fulfillment rates are ~15% cheaper than competitors, and items tagged with WFS and 2-Day Shipping see a 50% GMV lift.
- Multichannel Solutions: Use WFS to fulfill orders from your DTC site, social shops, or other marketplaces — with a 30% fee discount for new users.
Omnichannel: Store + Marketplace Mashup
Walmart is testing the “endless aisle” in-store: QR codes at its Cypress, TX location let shoppers buy Marketplace items in-app, with pro install options on some categories. It’s a small start, but it signals Walmart’s plan to merge Marketplace with the trust of in-store shopping.
The seller takeaway:
Walmart is leaning into AI, fee incentives, and faster shipping to give sellers more reasons to expand beyond Amazon. The omnichannel play — bringing Marketplace items into stores — could be the real unlock, especially if scaled nationwide. For sellers, the message is clear: Walmart wants your catalog, and they are dangling both cost savings and new eyeballs to get it.
6 Video Types That Turn Browsers Into Buyers
▶ Unlock the Power of Video Content That Sells
Want to create videos that drive sales? You’re in the right place. With 98% of shoppers watching explainer videos to learn about products*, strategic video content is more crucial than ever. Here are six proven video types that can enhance your product listings:
- Product Overview: A video that provides an overview of the product (features and physical traits) and/or shows it in real-life scenarios (use cases and demos).
- Unboxing: A video that shows a product being “unboxed” and helps customers see what a product looks like (e.g., size and scale) and what the contents of the box are.
- Product Operation/How to: These videos demonstrate or explain how to perform a task or complete a project with a specific product/category.
- Setup: A video that walks through how to set up a single product. These videos will usually walk through step by step on how to set up a product out of the box and/or assemble a product (e.g., assemble a bed).
- Troubleshooting: A video that explains how to overcome or fix common issues with a product (e.g., remote not responding).
- Brand Story: A video that provides an overview of a brand’s vision, journey, or catalog of products (talking about series or line of products from the same brand or sub-brand). These videos can also talk specifically about a particular brand or a brand/product feature common across many products.
*Video Marketing Statistics 2025, Wyzowl US
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